1939-D Repunched Mintmark WRPM-001

Description

Filed by the Wexler Team under the designation 1939-D 5¢ WRPM-001, this Jefferson nickel variety preserves evidence of a D/D/D triple-punched mintmark produced through two successive tilted (rotated) corrections during die preparation at the Philadelphia die shop. The mintmark application process for Denver and San Francisco coinage required a skilled worker to manually position and hammer a letter punch into the die face, and when the initial placement was unsatisfactory, the punch was repositioned and driven again -- in this case, twice, creating three overlapping mintmark impressions at slightly different angles. Obverse die markers include die scratches extending west from the left side of the W in WE and a NE/SW die scratch at the right lower side of the E in WE, both features that persist across die states and provide reliable attribution points. The reverse carries die scratches running northwest from the top of the mintmark itself, an irregular die scratch pattern above the left side of the Monticello building, and a NE/SW die scratch at the upper inside of the S in CENTS. No cross-references have been established with CONECA or other cataloging organizations. The 1939-D nickel's mintage of 3,514,000 represents the second-lowest Denver output in the Jefferson series' early years, and the combination of relatively low mintage with a dramatic triple-punched mintmark gives WRPM-001 strong appeal among both RPM specialists and general Jefferson nickel collectors assembling variety sets. This early-series date also benefits from the historical context of pre-war American numismatics, when Mint production processes retained many artisanal elements.

Attribution History

• Discovered by David Mulberry Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1939-D 5¢ WRPM-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References